• Books
  • Blog
  • About Judy Black
  • Contact
Menu

Judy Black

Writing up a storm
  • Books
  • Blog
  • About Judy Black
  • Contact
The gorgeous cover of Kill Three Birds!

The gorgeous cover of Kill Three Birds!

Mystery Taking Flight: Kill Three Birds by Nicole Givens Kurtz

July 9, 2020

I was lucky enough to get the chance to read an early copy of Nicole Givens Kurtz’ neweest book, Kill Three Birds and review it for Speculative Chic!

First, the world of Aves is detailed, vivid and unique. This bird-based society defined around different roles based on bird type creates a strange and fun world. The details of this society are revealed slowly throughout the book, and I ate up every one of them. It’s a fascinating look at birds in a way I’ve never thought about before.

Prentice is a hawk, someone who investigates crimes, and she’s been sent to a small town to help find a killer. When a young woman of a prominent family is found dead and then two more bodies turn up, it’s clear that the hawk has a murderer on her hands.

She navigates through the inner circle of the bird society — the church, headed by a dove — to the fringes of society where crows skulk and chickens peck into a bloody order. Prentice has to deal with the expectations thrown onto her as a hawk, a grieving and volatile family, and the threat of more bodies showing up if she can’t find the killer.

You can read the full review here.

Tags Nicole Givens Kurtz, book reviews, Kill three birds
Comment

Friday Review: I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest

December 11, 2015

I'd heard a lot about I am Princess X and once I heard Cherie Priest speak about it at a book launch event for Wake of Vultures at a local bookstore, Fox Tales. Once I heard about the book I had to have it. It took a bit of time to get to, but once I picked up the book I read it in one afternoon without ever really putting it down. 
 

Read More
In Reviews Tags Cherie Priest, I am princess x, book reviews, YA
Comment
You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero

You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero

Friday Review: You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero

November 20, 2015

With a title like 'You Are a Badass' how could I not pick up this book and get my grubby little hands all over it? As a sucker for self-help books and books about being a badass, I fell in love with Jen Sincero's blog first and then her book. 

Read More
Tags You are a badass, Jen Sincero, Self-help books, book reviews
Comment

Latest Posts

Featured
I've started writing, now what?
July 14, 2026
I've started writing, now what?
July 14, 2026

I have recently had a few friends and friends of friends jump into writing, falling in love with storytelling, and the process of getting words on page. It’s been wonderful to see. It’s also made me realize that there is still a lot of confusion out there about how the process works. So here are a few tips and information based on those conversations with people just starting out. 

Read more →
July 14, 2026
How Do You Know You’re Done Editing Something
July 8, 2026
How Do You Know You’re Done Editing Something
July 8, 2026

At what point do you actually call a project totally done and stop adjusting it?

Honestly, for me, the answer is often never. Even projects I’ve published and put out in the world, I occasionally poke at and make changes years after they were published. It isn’t always changes that I then republish, but more just things that I change for my own copy. Which isn’t really a helpful answer, is it? 

Read more →
July 8, 2026
Celebrate and Rest
March 17, 2026
Celebrate and Rest
March 17, 2026

A lot of creative work is completing things and no one ever knowing. Getting through a rough draft? Well, no one is going to really see it. Finished revising a tricky chapter? Cool! No one will probably see that work; they’ll just enjoy the full project. And a lot of times, creative work has multiple steps, so completing one just means more to do, always and forever more things piling up. 

So, what do you do? Keep running on the treadmill of non-stop work? 

Gross no. 

Read more →
March 17, 2026
Putting Story into Combat in Your DnD Game
February 18, 2026
Putting Story into Combat in Your DnD Game
February 18, 2026

Combat is honestly one thing I feel the weakest in as a DM. Running all the different monsters, tracking status effects, and abilities can absolutely turn into a slog quickly if I let it, so I have tried to add in story moments to every fight within reason. 

Read more →
February 18, 2026
Social Media and Sanity
February 3, 2026
Social Media and Sanity
February 3, 2026

Lately, I have been limiting my time on social media a lot. Which has been hard and sad. I have a lot of wonderful friends I met through the internet, and that I can only talk to online. I still spend a decent bit of time on Discord in more controlled small groups, but I’m even limiting time there and trying to just find other ways to fill my time. 

Read more →
February 3, 2026
8000 Tabs Open
November 6, 2025
8000 Tabs Open
November 6, 2025

Currently, I feel very 'death by a thousand papercuts' when it comes to my creative life. 

No longer can you be the reclusive hermit who appears only to deliver new work and then vanishes away into the lab to tinker away. And honestly, that gets super overwhelming. 

Between my day job, creative work, administrative work for the creative work, general life stuff, and everything else, I have between 40 and 60 things on my to-do list almost every day. 

Read more →
November 6, 2025
June2025WordCount.png
June 30, 2025
Writing in Chaos
June 30, 2025
Read more →
June 30, 2025
5 Horror TTRPGs for a Spine-Chilling Halloween Adventure
October 6, 2023
5 Horror TTRPGs for a Spine-Chilling Halloween Adventure
October 6, 2023

Explore spine-chilling adventures this Halloween with our top 5 horror RPG recommendations. Dive into terrifying tabletop experiences perfect for the spooky season. Discover the best role-playing games to send shivers down your spine!

Read more →
October 6, 2023
Brain Overload
August 3, 2022
Brain Overload
August 3, 2022
Read more →
August 3, 2022
July 20, 2022
The Importance of Support Networks
July 20, 2022
Read more →
July 20, 2022

Powered by Squarespace